James d



(No Model.). J. D. O'DONOGHUE.

TOY RACE COURSE.

No. 288,476.. Patented Nov. 13, 1883".

' dmw s n". Wnhingtan. D. C.

. UNITED ES PATENT omens.

JAMES B. ononoenun, on BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ToY RACE-COURSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,476, dated November 13, 188?, Application filed October rises. (No modelJ of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New Yorlghave invented a Toy Race-Course, of which the following is a specification.

This toy contains figures of horses, men, or other animals carried around in a circle upon independent arms, and a ball rolling down a circular inclined track is employed to give motion to the figures, and the devices against which the ball acts are so constructed that there isno certain amount of motion given to such figures, and it is a matter of chance which may arrive first at the end of the race. This toy affords considerable amusement, especially to children. i

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partially in section, showing the construction of the toy; and Fig. 2 isa plan view.

There is a base, a, supported upon suitable feet, I), and a circular platform, 0, connected with the base a by the bows or arches (I, through which the figures are moved around above the circular track formed by the slot between the outer edge of platform 0 and the inner edge of the base a. i

There is a crossbar, c, beneath the base a, firmly connected with the said base, upon which crossbar is a verticalnaxis or pivot, f, that passes up to the top of the circular inclined track, and it is securely fastened at thebottom to the crossbar. Around this vertical aXis f there is a fixed open spiral or helical wire, g, the ends of which are fastened to such axis, and around outside thereof there is a second helix or open spiral wire, h, having the same number of convolutions, but of considerably larger diameter. These two helices form a circular inclined track down which the ball I, of metal or other heavy material, can roll. The helix 71, is fastened at the lower end to the platform a, andtat the upper end to the disk in the disk m, through which the ball 1 is introduced to run down the tracks formed by the helices.

There are two, three, or more figures, P, of horses, men, bicycles, or other devices, and these are supported at the ends of arms i s if, each of which arms has an eye surrounding the axis f, and a vertical bar, 0*, s, or t, with an arm at the upper end, having an eye around the upper part of the vertical pivot. The arm a" is the longest and lowest, and the arm 15 the shortest and highest, so that the respective fig ures will swing clear of each other, the figure on The wires or bars 1 s 2%, being between the spirals 'or' helices g and 71/, are acted upon by the ball Z as it rolls down the inclined plane formed by such helices; hence when in use this ball gives to the horses or other toy figures a inovenient which generally becomes augmented, and the ball sometimes striking an illcline or zigzag projectionof the bar causes the horse with which it is connected to forge ahead;

hence the toy racer that comes in first is always a matter of uncertainty.

The parts may be connected together by screws, so that they maybe detached forpacklng.

The judges stand is represented at o, and I place a bell, w, beneath the platform in a posit'ion where the ball, as it emerges from the helices, falls against the bell and gives a signal of the race being finished. A trough or receptacle, '10, may be provided to receive the descending ball, after it has struck the bell, and prevent it rolling away.

If the vertical bars 1* s t were'straigh t, there might be a nearly uniform movement of all the toy horses as the ball runs down in con tact with such bars; but by introducing the zigzags into such wires the movements are ac celerated and the period of rotation changed, so that there is no positive relative movement of the toy horses, and it cannot be reliably told connected with the arms and against which the ball acts, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the helical track and ball, of the vertical axis, the toy figures, the arms connecting the toy figures, and the vertical bars, with projections or zigzags for the ball to act against, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 27th day of September, A. D. 1883.

JAMES D. ODONOGHUE.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. T. PIVNGKNEY, HAROLD SERRELL. 

